Latigo Leather & Hard Wool Paddle Strop, Leopardwood, 3 inches

3" Wide Black Latigo & Hard Wool Felt Paddle Strop

An excellent quality strop made from a base of solid hardwood - leopardwood - with a latigo stropping panel and a hard wool felt stropping panel  The overall length is about 18" (varies slightly - each item is hand-made and is a one-off) including the handle, by about 3" wide.  The stropping panels are just over 12" in length and offer about 12" of usable stropping area (the makers mark is embossed into the leather, so it will not affect the blade if the razor passes over it).  The hard wool felt is about 6mm thick.

The solid hardwood frame is about 1/4 of an inch thick, giving a good solid support and making the paddle ideal for those who like to experiment with abrasive pastes.  It is lightly sanded and treated with three coats of Renaissance Wax to make it moisture-proof and to add a subtle sheen that brings out and enhances the grain.  The handle is cut to the style of a favourite Victorian paddle strop I own.

This latigo has exceptionally good draw and does not need to be conditioned with oil.  The edges are cut at a bevel so as not to catch on the blade, and there is a thin pinstripe decorative marking running all around the external edges.  Leather being a natural item and hand-worked there are some small marks and natural faint lines/grain, but these will not affect it's ability in the slightest to produce a keen edge on a razor - I use prototypes of all the strops I make, and can tell what will impede the quality of the leather and affect its performance - I only sell the selected leather - the rest is discarded.

The hard wool felt is a very good alternative to cotton, and particularly good for paddles.  It has the ability to let powders and pastes embed themselves and not ride loose on the surface, so you get the best cutting action.  It does not have a lot of voids that have to be filled with paste like cotton or linen, so it is cheaper as far as buying paste is concerned.  It is a natural product and inevitably has small dark marks and other small areas of discolouration - these are not defects - they are inherent in the material.

Paddle Strop Pros:

• Easier for the novice to use - no need to worry about keeping it taut!
• Lighter and more compact than a loom or a hanging strop, so good for travelling with.
• Ideal for pastes because it does not sag - sagging contributes to edge rounding.